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Police say their investigation is into private building work and not the scaffold company or business premises

A three-year-old girl hit by a falling plank of wood as she was being pushed through a town centre in a pushchair has a fractured skull, it has emerged.

The girl, who has not been identified, was hit as her mother pushed her down Preston Street, Brighton, on Friday.

She remains in a critical but stable condition in Southampton General Hospital, police said.

Two men, aged 39 and 32, were arrested and later bailed in connection with the incident.

Det Ch Insp Pierre Serra said the girl, from Lancing, was with her mother when the "large piece of timber" - thought to be from scaffolding - fell on her.

The girl was initially taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, where she had surgery on her fractured skull, but has since been transferred to Southampton.

The two men were arrested on Friday.

'Private building project'

They were held on suspicion of committing grievous bodily harm without intent and health and safety offences.

Police say the 32-year-old, from Hove, was questioned in connection with failing to discharge his duties "as an employer or employee" under health and safety legislation and the 39-year-old, from Brighton, about his duties as an employee.

Officers said they wanted to hear from anyone who was walking or driving in Preston Street at about 10:45 BST on Friday or has dashcam footage of the incident.

They stressed their investigation was into "a private building project" and not the scaffold company or business premises.